Walking is the simplest form of physical activity. 10,000 steps daily is associated with significant improvement in health outcomes. However, the extent of awareness regarding walking and whether or not 10,000 steps daily are being exercised by many are still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on walking among university employees. A cross sectional study was conducted in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur Campus) involving 127 academic and administrative employees. All participants wore a pedometer for three continuous working days to determine daily steps and completed a validated KAP and sociodemographic questionnaires. Results showed that participants recorded an overall mean (± SD) of 7506 ± 3764 steps/day. According to pedometer thresholds proposed by Tudor-Locke and Bassett, 29% males and 22% females were classified as ‘sedentary’ (<5000 steps/day), while 24% males and 13% females were classified as ‘active’ (>10,000 steps/day). The mean ± SD for knowledge, attitude and practice scores were 10.9 ± 2.0 (84%), 33.0 ± 2.4 (66%) and 12.90 ± 3.8 (72%) respectively. Academic employees had higher knowledge scores on walking activity compared to administrative employees (p<0.05). Females had better attitude scores compared to males (p<0.05). The scores for practice in employees aged 29-35 years were higher than in those aged 51-58 years (p<0.05). Daily steps correlated positively with practice scores. Age group, job types and modes of transportation were significant factors in predicting daily steps (p<0.05). In conclusion, a majority of the university employees (33%) in this study were categorized as ‘low active’ despite being aware of the recommended 10,000 steps/day. Interventions aimed to increase walking activity are perhaps useful among university employee.
Walking ; pedometer ; knowledge ; attitude ; practice